[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Pages 12757-12758]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               RECOGNITION OF THE ACTING MINORITY LEADER

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The assistant Democratic leader is 
recognized.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, as we spoke last night as we were leaving, 
it seemed to me the only hurdle left was what we were going to do about 
the amendment offered by the distinguished Senator from Washington. She 
has offered this amendment 7 years in a row. We have had a straight up-
or-down vote on this amendment 7 years in a row. It seems to me that 
would be the way to handle this matter, which, of course, is 
controversial, as are many other amendments on this very bill. Once we 
get through that--if, in fact, we do get through it, and it could hold 
up the bill for an indefinite period of time--we have very few matters 
left on this side.
  I have not been able to determine from the managers if they have been 
able to clear the Landrieu amendment. We were concerned about the Biden 
amendment and the Dodd amendment.
  I think that is about all we have other than the Boxer amendment, 
which is going to be debated sometime today.
  She has agreed to take a short time on that.
  The end is in sight. But knowing the Senate as I do, the simple fact 
that the

[[Page 12758]]

end is in sight doesn't mean that we will ever get there.
  I hope we can resolve the Boxer matter and the Murray matter rapidly. 
Having done that, I think we will proceed through this bill quite 
quickly.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, if I might ask the distinguished leader 
and ranking member, we are prepared to accept the offer made last night 
with regard to time on the Boxer amendment.
  Mr. REID. We would still be willing to do that. The Senator from 
California has indicated, if the Chair will allow me to speak to the 
Senator from Virginia, that she is agreeable to take an hour evenly 
divided on her amendment.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, we are prepared to accept that.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, the Senator from Washington waited for hours 
last night during the parliamentary wrangle that we had. I think we are 
willing to enter into that time agreement. I think we first have to 
dispose of the Murray amendment before we agree to that. Under the 
order, we have to work on the Daschle amendment. As soon as we complete 
that, I think we should dispose of the Murray amendment before we go to 
the Boxer amendment.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, will the Senator enter into an agreement 
with the chairman for a one-hour time agreement on the Boxer amendment 
which does not preclude an amendment in the second degree?
  Mr. REID. Not at this time, we would not. I think we need to dispose 
of the Murray amendment one way or the other. Once we do, I think we 
can work something out on the Boxer amendment.

                          ____________________